Bridesmaids revisited

Monday

Jan 28, 2008 at 2:00 AM

Times are changing, and bridesmaid dresses are no longer the weakest link in the fashion food chain.

CANDACE HAMMOND

Once upon a time, women were subjected to wearing hideous pouffy concoctions in which absolutely no one could look good. Since the people choosing these dresses were brides, their friends just smiled through their discomfort, all in an effort to give someone else their special day. Welcome to the world of the bridesmaid.

In the new movie "27 Dresses," Katherine Heigl's character has a closet stuffed with the most frightening collection of bridesmaid dresses you could imagine. She's been dressed as a cowgirl, donned a sari in an Indian-themed wedding and more than once been outfitted in hoop skirts in "Gone With the Wind" extravaganzas.

Women wish this only happened in the movies. One reader, who wishes to remain nameless to protect a friendship, says even 21 years later the horror of the outfit she had to wear in someone's wedding hasn't left her memory.

"A chum from work asked me to be in her wedding, and I felt like I couldn't say no," she says. "The bride dressed us in a red-and-white puffy-sleeved thing that had a hoop skirt with red ruffles along the bottom. I'm sure the bride had no idea how I felt in that dress; however, for me it will always be the day I had to masquerade as 'Little Bo Peep, the devoted bridesmaid.'"

Gail Laflash of Dennis told us about her daughter Karen's experience with a dress ordered from afar that didn't fit. In fact, it was big enough to fit her and a friend.

"When faced with an estimate of $450 in alternations, she was advised by the seamstress to just buy another dress off the rack," says Laflash.

Laflash's daughter did so, and the bridal shop refunded her money, so all was well that ended well.

"The dress she wore was a darker blue and styled a bit differently than the other bridesmaids, but she and the bride both looked absolutely stunning."

The good news: Times are indeed changing, and bridesmaid dresses are no longer the weakest link in the fashion food chain.

You don't have to go far to find some very fashionable bridesmaid dresses. Meghan Fligg of Sposabella Bridal in Hyannis has lots of great options, and there isn't a Scarlett O'Hara-wannabe in the bunch.

"Even though the bride has her vision for the look she wants, there are enough choices that a bridesmaid can find a style that is flattering to her," says Fligg.

Often a bride will choose a color and brand, she says, and within those parameters, each bridesmaid can choose the dress that best suits her.

"We also have a lot of brides who chose separates," she says. "They might choose a skirt, and then let the bridesmaids each choose the top that works best for them."

Prices for the dresses range from approximately $170 to $300, something you might not balk at spending if you knew you could actually wear the dress again.

"Brides really need to keep in mind the different body types of their bridesmaids, and that you want them to feel comfortable," says Fligg. "Try to find a way for it to be their own, and that will make everyone happy."

Alison Kelly, a part-time Cape resident who was a Season 3 contestant on the Bravo network reality series "Project Runway," started a line of bridesmaid dresses as a result of a family favor. When her sister was getting married, she asked Kelly for help. Everyone loved the dresses so much, she decided to sell them.

"In my sister's wedding, we had attendants who ranged in size from a size 2 to size 18, and in age from 16 to mid-30s, so I needed to come up with something that was flattering and comfortable for everyone," she says.

What Kelly designed was becoming on everyone: a simple empire-waist dress, with subtle boning to keep everything in place, made out of a fine, soft jersey that drapes beautifully, yet hides flaws. It's a dress that works on every figure.

"Bridesmaids want to look chic," Kelly says. "The dress should be something you love that makes you feel great, and something you'd wear again. Brides want a look that is modern chic. Lots of brides are buying dresses from J.Crew. People want something simple and classic."

Thankfully it seems like the day of the humiliating bridesmaid dress is gone.

"Brides are looking for something that is a lot more sophisticated than some of the dresses in the past," says Kelly. "People really are much more in tune with fashion than they used to be."